First Two Weeks

Tai Chi classes are off to a great start. There were 9 participants in the first session and we did a breathing meditation and practiced all twelve exercises for a taste of what it feels like to do Tai Chi. Most of the participants were back next week and there were 14 people in the second class. We did the same meditation and I taught the first exercise in detail. This got participants thinking about their posture and range of movement and some great questions were asked during and after class.

We did the Sunset Meditation as a small group of 3 and 4. Everybody got into it without difficulty and we had some interesting experiences to discuss by the fireplace afterwards. One participant reported a more restful sleep after the session.

Three States of Mind

There are three basic attitudes towards new ideas or information.

Having an open mind is being open to new and unconventional information. Open mind is willing to inquire – to consider the facts and reasons that are presented, evaluate if they are true or useful, and accept or reject these ideas on rational grounds. Open mind is the balanced state.

Having a closed mind is rejecting an idea or an entire subject outright without a logical reason to do so. There is often unresolved emotion behind it – such as an unconscious fear of being wrong or looking stupid, or an urge to put others down to feel superior. It is possible to verify this – if someone seems to have a closed mind, try to present accurate facts that gently question their perspective. It is a confirmation if they respond by ignoring the facts and exhibiting negative emotion.

The other extreme is gullible mind which believes new ideas almost outright. Like the closed mind, gullible mind is not renowned for evaluation of facts and reasons. It can also be driven by unresolved emotion – such as desire to be better than others, or attachment to a victim stance in life. Gullible mind bypasses reason and latches on to ideas that resonate with its unresolved emotion.

Everyone has these states of mind at one time or another. Here’s a little self test – notice if you feel an impulse to dismiss the following subject areas outright, believe them without evidence, or if you are open to examining the facts and reasons:
– being vegetarian
– aliens visiting earth
– political corruption in NZ
– dangers of eating microwaved food
– invisible energy surrounding our physical body

It is very easy to notice when others are being close minded or gullible, but being able to catch ourselves at it is a valuable skill. So the best result of this test is the honest result.

Living in society, people can develop a certain sense of normality – what is acceptable and normal, and what is rejected and ridiculed. This can be useful for maintaining order, but also detrimental by making individuals uncomfortable to explore and express ideas that are outside the conventional paradigm. Some of these unconventional ideas are positively life changing, so why miss out?

This leads me into introducing this month’s movie screening. This movie examines many challenging subject areas with an open mind.

Movie Sunday – 25th of November

This month Laingholm Eleven will be screening a movie called Thrive. It is an engaging independent documentary that presents findings of the filmmaker’s life-long quest to figure out a very fundamental question – why are many people’s lives a struggle, and what will it take for humanity to thrive?

Clearly, it is a complex and multi-faceted question to address. The movie examines many subject areas in order to form “the big picture” of what is really going on on our planet today:
– Why is the gap between rich and poor widening?
– What is behind our education and healthcare systems?
– Where is the agricultural revolution heading?
– Is there proof of sentient life outside Earth?
– Do 5,000 recorded crop circles contain a message?
– How did the modern monetary system come about?
– Is the crisis of 2008 part of a larger economic cycle?
– Are people being manipulated by governments?
– Are global power and control being centralized?
– What are the latest advances in energy generation?
– What is the evolutionary path of our society?
– What positive life changes can individuals make?

In my opinion, Thrive is the best “big picture” documentary so far. While I don’t agree with everything in it, I was impressed by the wide scope of its perspective, and by how well it sticks to the facts – it is definitely not a “conspiracy theory” movie. I’m screening Thrive because it presents many important facts that our mainstream media fails to cover.

This screening is open to everyone. Feel free to bring friends and arrive by 1:50pm. Bring socks to wear inside and a cushion to sit on. Thrive is about 2h10m long, and you are welcome to stay for a cup of tea afterwards. If you can’t come you can still watch the movie on your own computer. See web site for all the details.

Regular Events

– Tai Chi Classes – Wed Evenings
– Sunset Meditation – Fri Evenings

See www.laingholm11.co.nz for directions and information about these sessions. Attendance is free of charge. You can make an optional donation when leaving (wooden box by the exit).

PUBLISHED IN NOV 2012 ISSUE OF LAINGHOLM ROUNDABOUT.